Defendant given fresh warrant for intimidating witness in court

TOKYO, Feb. 12 Kyodo -
Prosecutors served a fresh arrest warrant Thursday on a criminal defendant for
allegedly intimidating a woman who testified against him in court.

Defendant Eiji Watanabe, 43, allegedly made threatening remarks against the
woman in her 30s at the first hearing of his trial at the Tokyo District Court
on Monday.
Judicial experts said it is unusual for a criminal defendant to be served with
an arrest warrant on suspicion of intimidating a witness during a trial.
The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office is concerned that such acts could
obstruct a smooth trial, ahead of the start of the lay judge system in May, and
apparently showed their determination to protect crime victims and witnesses by
serving the arrest warrant, the experts said.
Watanabe has been charged with beating and injuring the woman, a fortuneteller,
on a street in Tokyo's Setagaya Ward on Nov. 18, 2008.
During the hearing Monday, the woman replied to questions from a prosecutor and
said she cannot excuse the attacker and hopes he will be severely punished.
Watanabe, who pleaded guilty to the charge of injury, shouted during her
testimony that he would attack her again as well as all fortunetellers in
Japan. After the remarks, the presiding judge ordered him to leave the
courtroom.
The woman testified behind a shield during the session but burst into tears on
the witness stand.
The woman is seeking a court decision ordering the defendant to pay about
600,000 yen in damages and medical costs in line with criminal trial procedures
that allow victims to seek redress.
Under the Penal Code, a person who intimidates another person deemed to have
knowledge necessary for an investigation or trial shall be punished with
imprisonment for up to one year or a fine of up to 200,000 yen.
A person who causes another to suffer injury shall be punished with
imprisonment of up to 15 years or a fine of up to 500,000 yen.
==Kyodo